MUZAFFARABAD, Dec 2: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat on Thursday rejected criticism of the recent cabinet expansion saying that the growing workload in the state had necessitated a larger cabinet.
"The cabinet expansion was necessary, especially because of the increased workload. We are also thinking about increasing the number of seats in the assembly as has been done in Pakistan," said the prime minister at the swearing in ceremony of Noreen Arif as his adviser on information.
Ms Arif and another Ms Shamim Akhtar were appointed advisers when 11 more cabinet members were inducted on Nov 13. Ms Akhtar was administered oath by the PM on Nov 20 but Ms Arif could not be sworn in because she was in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
Ms Arif's appointment as an adviser was in recognition of her family's services for the Muslim Conference since its inception, the prime minister said. Referring to Wednesday's cabinet meeting, the prime minister said that his team had taken some "very important" decisions, which would surely return the Muslim Conference victorious in the next general elections.
"God willing we will prove that the cabinet expansion was the right decision and was in the interest of the freedom movement (in the occupied Kashmir) and (was vital) for the development of the liberated territory."
He said the cabinet expansion had also ended bitterness between the government and the party. Stressing the need for consolidating party ranks, he said that party affairs would also be streamlined.
The prime minister also criticized Peoples Party for hurling what he termed baseless accusations against the government and said it was attempting to create chaos in the state.
Earlier, Ms Arif, who is wife of Additional Chief Secretary Raja Mohammad Arif and mother-in-law of the prime minister's daughter, was accompanied by a large number of supporters when she arrived at the prime minister's office.
